hughes



R. B. HUGHES.

AWNING ARM. APPLICATION FILED AUG-26.1918.

Patented J 11116 17, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W/TNESS INVENTOR RJB. HUGHES. AWNING ARM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG126 I918- 1,3Q7,2Q1 Patented June 17, 1919.

2 S'HEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESS INVENTOR ROBERT B. HUGHES, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

AWNING-ARM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Awning-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in swinging or folding awning arms, the primary object in view being to provide a special construction of joint for the pivoted sections of the arm such that when in extended position accidental folding, by pressure of the wind for instance, is precluded.

In other words, in previous supports of this type the tendency to fold has been very marked and numerous arrangements have been proposed to prevent this, as by providing special locking elements or holding means, for example as disclosed in my previous Patent No. 1,2 19,7 59, granted December 11, 1917. But these arrangements add to the cost of manufacture considerably and are subject to disarrangement and breakage, so that my aim in the present invention is to eliminate necessity for locking means of any type by so constructing the joint or elbow of the arm as to throw the pivots into such relative positions to each other that the tendency to break-j oint is overcome, while on the other hand folding action is accomplished readily by a movement of one of the arm sections resulting in a movement of the pivots which allows the folding action to take Place.

The joint construction just referred to gives rise to another objective, namely the retention of the arm in its folded position without special means for this purpose, as will be pointed out more particularly hereinafter.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and claimed. Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings forming 'a part of this specification, wherein:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of the awning arm in' extended position, with awning applied.

' Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the initial position or movement of the forearm section required to effect folding of the arm.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 1'? 1919 Application filed August 26, 1918.

Serial No. 251,439.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the arm in folded position.

Fig. 41 is a fragmentary top plan view of the olnt portion of the arm, showing the relative position of the parts when the arm is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar view to that of Fig. 4: but showing the relative position of the parts when the arm is in the preliminary stage of folding, shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view showing the relationship of the pivots when arm is extended.

Fig. 7 is a detail vieW of the hinge or pivot plate.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the wall bracket and arm connector.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the retainer designed to cooperate with the connector for the arm. 7 Throughout the following description and 011 the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a wall bracket by means of which the awning arm is usually supported on the wall or other part of the building, 2 the inner section and 3 the outer section of the awning arm which is connected to the bracket by the connector piece 1. This last mentioned part has pivot connection with the bracket, as indicated at 5, a horizontal bolt, while the arm itself is connected to the connector by the vertical bolt 6, thus allowing for both vertical movement and lateral swinging as in folding.

Provision is made as usual for vertical adjustment through the instrumentality of the adjusting screw 7 which is mounted in the connector 4 and abuts with the bracket 1. Since there is allowance forfree movement upwardly in the vertical plane on the con nector pivot 5, and the wind has a tendency to lift the awning and its arms, I prefer to employ a little locking expedient to prevent the bodily vertical movement of the arm. This device is shown in Fig. 9 to consist of the angle-plate 8, having a closed slot 9 at one end and an open slot 10 at the other end, the former to receive the bolt 11 carried by the bracket 1 and the latter to engage the head of the adjusting bolt 7 hereinbefore referred to. This member does not in any wise prevent adjustment of the arm to obtain the proper inclination when desired.

construction, it will be understood that the arm, together with its companion arm or arms, are connected at their outer ends by the awning pole or bar 17 over which the awning 18 extends from the awning roller 19 mounted on the wall above the arm brackets. Folding and unfolding of the arms is accomplished by the rolling and nnrolling of the awning in the 'usual manner and the operation of the present arm under suchconditions will now be set forth.

Assuming that 'the arm is in extended position as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the arrangement of pivots is'such that they are substantially in line, or it may be that the arm joint has passed beyond alined position, either of which positions, however, being essential. In this :position the arm cannot be folded accidentally by end pressure and in this position also the weight of the forearm is sustained bythe awning which tends to keep the same from sagging, anobvious advantage that need not be further referred to. The only way the arm can now be folded is to wind up the awning. This Windingaction lifts the forearm section at the outer'end, referring to Fig. 2, as permitted by the slot in the hinge plate and such vertical movement of the forearm causes-the projection 16 'tocam ontlie surface 15, resulting in a lateral movement of the joint which I term for purposes of conveni'ence, breaking-joint at the elbow, 'tliis immediately permitting'the arm to fold up laterally and swing againstthe front of the building supporting the brackets. Now 'the relative position of the arm sections is dis closed most clearly in Fig. 3 in which it will be noted that the forearm assumes a position diagonally across the inner arm section. The forearm, it may be further noted, is shorter than the inner section and in this folded position acts somewhat as a lever with the weight of the awning pole on the same to thereby hold'the arm inthe folded position. In this folded position the fore- 1. A folding awnlng arm of the class described, comprising pivoted sections, and a pivot for said sections movably mounted on one of said sections, said .pivot being shiftable by movement of one of said sections preliminary to folding of the arm to pen mit the folding action. p

2. A folding awningarm of the class described, comprising pivoted sections, a pivot for said sections movably mounted on one of said sections, said pivot beingshiftable by movement of oneof said sections preliminary to folding of-thearm to permit the folding action, and means adjacent to the pivot to cause break-joint action upon movement of the arm section as aforesaid.

3. A folding awning-arm of the class described, comprising an inner arm section and a forearm section, a pivot connecting said sections together and movable in a vertical plane upon elevation of "the forearm section, and camming m'eans arranged 'to shift thejoint of the sections when'the forearm is "elevated as aforesaid.

4. In combination with anawning, a folding arm therefor comprising an'inner section and an outer arm section to which latter section the awning aforesaid is connected, and a pivotconnecting the arm sections together, said pivot being shift'able relativeto the arm section adjacent thereto scribed, comprising pivoted-sections,-and a pivot for said sections one of said "sections being provided with a' slot to *receivethe PIVOT, aforesaidand said pivot being shiftable upon-movement of the' other of said; secbreak-j oint action and permit of folding of the arm.

6. A folding awning arm'of the class&clescribed, comprising an inner arm section and an outer arm section, one of said sections having laterally extending ears, one

=tions when the arm is extended to effect 7 having an aperture and. the other a slot, and a pivot for said sections mounted in the aperture and slot of said ears and shiftable at one end when the extremity of the outer section is elevated to thereby move the pivot into such position as will permit the folding of'the sections.

7. An awning support of the class described comprising in combination, a wall bracket, an arm pivotally connected to said bracket and comprising an innersection and an outer section, the inner section having laterally projecting spaced ears, one of which is apertured and the other slotted, and a pivot bolt vertically disposed in said aperture and slot and subject to shifting by the outer section, said outer section when unfolding being movable downwardly at its outer extremity when the arm sections approach extended position, said downward movement shifting the plvot of said sections into such relative position with respect to the arm pivot as to prevent accidental folding of the arm.

8. An awning support of the class described comprising a wall bracket, a folding arm pivotally mounted on said bracket, adjusting means for adjusting the inclination ill to hold the same at adjusted position, and

a retainer mounted adjacent to the adjusting member with which the latter is interlocked to prevent accidental movement in a vertical plane.

10. An awning support of the class described comprising a wall bracket, an awning arm, a connector piece connecting said arm to the bracket, an adjusting member mounted in said connector piece and holding the arm in adjusted position by cooperation with the bracket, and a retainer attached to the bracket with which the adjusting member is interlocked to prevent the arm from being lifted by the wind when the awning is in extended position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ROBERT B. HUGHES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

